Polish Briefing: The EC organizes a meeting on air quality. Poland not invited

What goes on in Poland on the 22nd of January.

The EC organizes a meeting on air quality. Poland not invited

The European Commission informed on Friday that it plans a meeting of nine member states to find a solution for the problem of bad air quality. Poland, a country that has been sued in this issue to the Court of Justice, is not among the invited. The meeting will include ministers from the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, France, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Great Britain. These nine countries are endangered by crossing the limit of air quality.

– The meeting will be organized for three reasons – in order to protect the citizens, to explain that no improvement will cause legal consequences and to remind the member states that this step is the final stage – some might say, too long – period, in which we offer help, advice and warnings – said the EU commissioner for environment, Karmenu Vella.

The EU directive on air quality and clean air for Europe demands the member states to limit emissions of particulate matters and nitrogen dioxide.

PKN Orlen to construct its own network of electric vehicle chargers in Poland

The Company is launching a pilot project to install fast chargers for electric vehicles at its service stations. A RFP for 23 (50 kW and 100 kW) chargers has just been released. By the end of 2018, motorists will be able to recharge their electric cars at some service stations located along Poland’s main transit routes.

The newly deployed points will be able to recharge all types of electric vehicles available on the European market. All will be equipped with two DC charging connectors supporting the CHAdeMO and CCS standards, as well as a Type 2 connector for AC charging. A 50 kW DC fast charging station can charge electric vehicle batteries from 20% to 80% of their full capacity within 20–30 minutes.

The project will be implemented in 2018–2019, with the first points already in service by the end of this year. The specific locations will be determined later in the RFP process. Apart from transit locations, chargers will also be installed at PKN Orlen premises in Płock and Warsaw.

“The investment in electric mobility, in line with wider strategic development plans for the Polish economy, will allow us to significantly expand the know-how we have gained on foreign markets. It will also be a major stimulant to growth of the entire alternative fuel market in Poland. Our aim is to ensure that in 2019 drivers of electric cars are able to travel across Poland along the main routes relying only on our charging points,” said Wojciech Jasiński, President of the Management Board of PKN Orlen.